Device for painting flagpoles, suspension cables and the like



Sept. 5, 1961 A. F. EDELBERG 2,998,801

DEvIcE EOE PAINTING ELAGPOLES, SUSPENSION CABLES AND THE LIKE Filed June25, 1958 Il ARTHUR Ef'gEDELaERG Y 2,998,801 DEVICE FOR PAINTINGFLAGPOLES, SUSPEN- Y SION CABLES AND THE LIKE Arthur F. Edelberg,Cleveland, (hio, assignor to Kameo Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ghia, acorporation of Ohio Filed June 23, 1958, Ser. No. 743,592 9 Claims, (Cl.118-108) The present invention relates generally as indicated to adevice `for painting ilagpoles, vertical suspension cables ofsuspension-type bridges, etc.

Hitherto, in the art of painting ilagpoles, for example,

lithas been necessary for the painter to climb to the top of the polewith his paint can and brush and then progressively ywork down from thetip of the pole, cleaning and painting the pole as he descends.Obviously, such climbing and descent involves a certain amount of dangerto the safety of the painter and also is an expensive proposition, sinceit may take several hours to paint the average Y `the halyard, However,with such known spray painting device, spray dust is distributed over awide area and, besides, such device can only be hoisted to the level ofthe halyard pulley which is located several inches below the sphericaltip and collar assembly. Thus the tip of Ithe agpole is left unpaintedwhen using such known type of spray painting device.

Accordingly, it is one principal object of this invention to provide anautomatic painting device with which tall ilagpoles, suspension cables,and the like may be quickly painted in a few minutes.

It is another object of this invention to provide a spray paintingdevice of the character indicated which eliminates the spray dustproblem.

It isyet another object of this invention to provide a spray paintingdevice of the character indicated which is provided with a halyard guidetube which prevents painting of the halyard.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a paintingdevice of the character indicated which has a casing positioned aroundthe pole or cable tobe painted, and spray devices in the casingoperative to spray the paint inwardly onto the surface of the pole orcable, the casing further being provided with bristle brushes, or thelike, that serve a two-fold purpose, namely, to seal the top and bottomends of the casing from leakage of spray dust and to smooth on thesprayed paint on the pole or cable as the device is lowered.

it is still another object of .this invention -to provide a paintingdevice in which the brushes mentioned in the next preceding paragraphare readily removable for cleaning and for replacement by wire brushesor the like, which are effective to remove loose paint, scale, and rustfrom the surface of the pole or cable when the device is raised andlowered several times.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a painting devicefor agpoles, cables and the like, which is of lightweight and simplifiedconstruction so that it may be economically manufactured.

it is still another object of this invention to provide a spray paintingdevice for ilagpoles, cables and the like, in which the side walls ofthe casing are constituted by air filters which permit flow of airtherethrough but exclude the spray dust.

Patented Sept. 5 1961 Other objects and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent as the `following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the'invention,then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrativeembodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but oneof the various ways in which the principle of the invention may beemployed.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. l is a side elevation view showing the painting device in operativeposition to paint a conventional ilagpole as the device is lowered bygravity and under the control of the agpole halyard;

FIG. 2 is a top plan View of the painting device as viewed downwardlyalong the line 2 2, FIG. l; and,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section view taken substantiallyalong the line 3 3, FIG.`2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the painting devicecomprises a hollow casing 1 which is of generally triangular form andmade up of, two sections 2 and 3 hinged together at 4 so that the casingmay be opened for positioning around the flagpole or cable to bepainted. The section 3 constitutes a door which is held closedby anysuitable means such as the hook and eye 5 as shown in FIG. 1.

The frame of door 3 and, likewise, the frame of the two sides o-f thecasing section 2,y provide Vslideways 6 for insertion of air iilters 7,it having been found that ordinary lilters for domestic heating furnacesserve well the purpose -o-f permitting ow of air while excluding theliow of spray dust from Within the casing 1 to the atmosphere.

The portions 8 of the side walls of the casing section I 2 between thethree filters 7 are each provided with an opening 9 near the top thereofthrough which the nozzle of a paint spray device 10' extends to directpaint particles inwardly toward the surface of the flagpole P whichl isto be painted. The side wall portions 3 also carry suitable means forsupporting the three spray guns 1? in uniformly spaced relation and -byWay of example, each is shown as comprising a dish-shaped member 11which receives the bottom end portion of the respective sprayvcup orpaint container 12 and a Split contractible band 14 actuated by -a thumbscrew or the like to securely hold the spray device 10 in operatingposition with its nozzle extending into casing 1 through opening 9.Obviously, the spray devices l@ may comprise self-spraying paint cans orconventional pneumatic spray guns instead of the electric vibrator sprayguns herein illustrated which have their electric cords 15 plugged intoa terminal box 16 from which the main electric cable 17 extendsdownwardly for plugging into a source of electric power.

Removably mounted at the top and bottom ends of the casing 1 are brushsegments 18 and 19 which have bristles radiating inwardly to the centersof the rings deiined by the respective pairs of segments 18 and 19. Thebrush segments 18 and 19 are detachably mounted at the top and bottom ofthe respective casing sections 2 and 3 as by means lof wing nuts 20 sothat they may be removed for cleaning .and may be removed and replacedwith wire brushes (not shown) when it is necessary to remove loosepaint, scale, or rust on the agpole or cable before painting the same.

Extending vertically between the top and bottom walls of the doorsection 3 and inward yof the channel-back of brush segments 19 is arectangular guide tube 23 which is open at its top and bottom ends andwhich has several vertically spaced holes 24 `drilled through oppositeYsides in any of which a pin 25 may be selectively inserted.

With reference to the tlagpole P, it is conventional practice to makethe same so that it has a progressively smaller diameter (either taperedor stepped) from the base up toward lthe top and to provide `at the tipa ball 26 and a collar or liange 27. Beneath the collar 27 and securedto the pole P is the conventional halyard pulley 28 over which theendless halyard H runs as shown. One of the snap hooks 29 on the halyardH is engaged with the pin 25 4as shown in FIG. 3 and the other snap hook29 is engaged with an eye 30 or the like secured adjacent the lower endof the guide tube 23'.

In order to permit hoisting of the casing 1 so as to spray the sphericaltip 26 of the agpole P which is several inches above the pulley 28, theguide tube 23 is slotted as shown at 31. Thus when the left hand portionof the halyard H is pulled down as shown in FIG. 3 the casing 1 may behoisted until the nozzles of the spray devices 10 are positioned aroundthe spherical tip 26 of the agpole P.

When the painting device is hoisted to the position shown in FIG. 3, thebristles of the top brush segments 18 and 19 will extend straight inradially and the bristles of the bottom brush segments 18 will be curveddownwardly.

Now, when the cable 17 is plugged into a source of electric power thespray devices 10 will be operative to uniformly spray the tip 26 of theagpole P and as the casing 1 is lowered, the bristles of the bottombrush segments 18 and 19 will turn in the opposite direction as shown indot-dash lines -in FIG. 3, and the bristles of the top brush segments 18and 19 will smooth the sprayed paint on the ball 26 and on thebell-shaped collar 27 and thence will brush the sprayed paint on thecylindrical or tapered portions of the iiagpole P below said collar 27.As the painting device is lowered, the halyard H will be disposed withinthe tube 23 and will thereby be out of the path of the spray conesissuing from the spray devices 10.

As previously mentioned, the iilters 7 permit air to flow therethrough,but retain the spray dust within the casing 1. Similarly, the brushes18-19 at the top and bottom of the casing serve to retain the spray dustin the casing 1 while the top brush 18-19 performs the operation ofsmoothing on the sprayed paint on the surface of the ilagpole P.

A conventional agpole P such as used on the roofs of buildings and onthe lawns of schools and other public buildings, usually is about sixtyfeet tall and of about four and one-half to five inches diameter at thebase. For such flagpoles the circular brushes 18-19 at the top andbottom may have bristles of about say, four inches in length radiatinginwardly and meeting at the center. The spray means 10 will preferablybe mounted so that the spray nozzles thereof are about five inches downfrom the top wall of the casing 1 and the vertical guide tube 23 foraccommodating the halyard H may be of cross-section about 2% x 2 withholes 24 spaced apart about 2" down to about 16 from the top, and theslot 31 may extend down about l from the top. The particular spraydevices herein employed have one quart containers 12 and it has beenfound that all that is required to paint such a flagpole is about onequart of paint. With the present device the painting of a 60 agpole canbe accomplished in a matter of three to four minutes compared withseveral hours painting and set-up time required by conventionalpractices.

An important feature of the present invention is that there is mountedin the door section 3 of the casing 1 a counterbalancing weight 33 sothat the casing 1 will hang substantially vertically from the pin 25whereby it is unnecessary to provide guide rolls or guide shoes tocenter the device around the flagpole or cable. Moreover, the guiderolls or shoes must be spring-loaded or self-adjusting to accommodatethe varying diameter portions of the agpole P engaged thereby. Thepresent invention eliminates the necessity of providing any guide meansat all on the casing 1.

In the event that the upper end of the halyard guide tube 23 displacesthe brush bristles between the inner side of the tube 23 and the outersurface of the agpole P it is proposed to close such space as by opposedbrushes (not shown) that either overlie or underlie the brushes 18-19and thus close such space against leakage of spray dust.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed,change being made as regards the details described, provided thefeatures stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent ofsuch, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

l. A device for painting flagpoles and the like comprising a hollowcasing having a side wall portion `adapted to be positioned in radiallyspaced relation around a agpole and to be hoisted to the top thereof andthence lowered; spray means carried by said casing and operative tospray paint inwardly against the agpole as the casing is lowered; andradially extending brush bristle sealing means at the top and bottomends of said casing effective to retain spray dust within said casing.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said brush sealing means spans theradial space between said casing and the flagpole and is radiallyflexible to contact the surface of the flagpole irrespective of itschanging diameter 3. 'Ihe device of claim 1 wherein a portion of theside wall of said casing is constituted by an air iilter.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said casing is provided witheccentrically disposed suspension means and is counter-balanced so as tohang substantially vertically from said suspension means.

5. A device for painting a agpole and the like that is equipped with apulley near the top thereof and with a halyard running over said pulleyby which a flag hooked to the halyard may be raised and lowered, saiddevice comprising a hollow casing adapted to be positioned in radiallyspaced relation around the agpole and to be hooked to the halyardwhereby said casing may be hoisted to the top of the flagpole and thencelowered; spray means carried by said casing and operative to spray paintinwardly against the appole as the casing is lowered under the controlof the halyard; and an eccentrically disposed guide tube in said casingprovided with means for connection of one side of the halyardtherewithin and having open top and bottom ends for passage of the otherside of the halyard therethrough as said casing is raised and lowered,said guide tube preventing spraying of paint on the halyard.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the means for connection of the halyardis spaced below said spray means and wherein the inner side of saidguide tube is slotted from its top end downwardly for passage of thehalyard inwardly to the pulley and thereby to permit hoisting of saidcasing to a position whereat said spray means is located above thepulley.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein said casing has brush sealing means atits top and bottom ends to retain spray dust therewithin.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein said casing is counterbalanced so as tohang substantially vertically from said means for connection of one sideof the halyard.

9. The device of claim 5 wherein said casing has brushes at its top andbottom ends with bristles extending inwardly to contact the surface ofthe ilagpole, said brushes constituting sealing means to retain spraydust within said casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS348,535 Rosenblatt Aug. 31, 1886 1,368,816 McNulty Feb. l5, 19212,357,144 Stair Aug. 29, 1944 2,429,915 Bell Oct. 28, 1947 2,470,994Kremko et a1. May 24, 1949 2,651,288 Reigh Sept. 8, 1953 ,2,858,555Medovick Nov. 4, 1958

